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Abstract:

Systems according to embodiments of the present invention include a core
adapter module configured to receive reservation information from a
reservation system in a first format useable by the reservation system, a
web service module configured to identify a provider system based on the
reservation information and to place the reservation information into a
second format useable by the provider system, and a distribution module
configured to send the reservation information in the second format to
the provider system. Methods according to embodiments of the present
invention include receiving reservation information from a reservation
system in a first format useable by the reservation system, identifying a
provider system based on the reservation information, processing the
reservation information to place the reservation information into a
second format useable by the provider system, and sending the reservation
information in the second format to the provider system.

Claims:

1. A system for media activation, comprising: a core adapter module
configured to receive a media activation from a distribution
point-of-sale system, wherein the media activation has a first format
useable by the distribution point-of-sale system; a web service module
configured to identify a provider system based on the media activation
and to place the media activation into a second format useable by the
provider system; and a distribution module configured to send the media
activation in the second format to the provider system, wherein the media
activation comprises a unique identification.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the media activation is a media
activation request to activate a physical media for use in accessing
services associated with the provider system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the physical media is a mobile phone.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the web service module translates the
media activation into a record in the second format.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the web service module is configured to
identify a plurality of provider systems based on the media activation
and to place the media activation into a plurality of formats useable by
the plurality of provider systems.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the unique identification is a first
unique identification, wherein the distribution point-of-sale system is a
first distribution point-of-sale system, wherein the core adapter module
is configured to receive a second media activation from a second
distribution point-of-sale system, and wherein the second media
activation has a third format useable by the second distribution
point-of-sale system; wherein the web service module is configured to
identify the provider system based on the second media activation and to
place the second media activation into the second format useable by the
provider system; and wherein the distribution module is configured to
send the second media activation in the second format to the provider
system, wherein the second media activation comprises at least a second
unique identification.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the web service module is configured to
identify a plurality of provider systems based on the second media
activation and to place the second media activation into a plurality of
formats useable by the plurality of provider systems.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the media activation includes data
representing a visual pattern on a physical media.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the media activation includes data
representing information transmitted by a physical media.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the unique identification of the media
activation is a first unique identification that corresponds to a second
unique identification on a media associated with the media activation.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first unique identification
includes an electronic signature.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first unique identification
includes a key.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the web service module is configured
to perform pre-processing on the media activation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the pre-processing includes
determining if the distribution point-of-sale system is an authorized
distribution point-of-sale system.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the unique identification of the media
activation is a first unique identification, and wherein the system
further comprises: a provider system database configured to receive the
media activation in the second format; and a provider system interface in
communication with the provider system database, wherein the provider
system interface is configured to receive a second unique identification
from a media associated with the media activation, wherein the second
unique identification corresponds to the first unique identification.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the provider system interface is
configured to compare the second unique identification received from the
media with the media activation in the second format.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the core adapter module is configured
to receive an advance sale from the provider system in a format
compatible with the provider system, and wherein the web service module
is configured to translate the advance sale into a format compatible with
the distribution point-of-sale system and to transmit the advance sale to
the distribution point-of-sale system.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the distribution point-of-sale system
includes a hand-held electronic device configured to generate the media
activation.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the core adapter is configured to
receive a media inactivation from the distribution point-of-sale system
in the first format, wherein the web service module is configured to
identify the provider system based on the media inactivation and to place
the media inactivation into the second format useable by the provider
system, wherein the distribution module is configured to send the media
inactivation in the second format to the provider system, and wherein the
media inactivation includes the unique identification.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the media inactivation comprises a
media inactivation request.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising the distribution
point-of-sale system that includes: a media activation taker module
configured to receive a first input from a user, receive a second input
corresponding to the unique identification, and create the media
activation in the first format based on the first input and on the second
input; and a media activation distributor module configured to transmit
the media activation to the core adapter.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the distributor point-of-sale system
is further configured to receive payment information from the user and to
transmit the payment information to the provider system.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the media activation taker module is
configured to receive the second input corresponding to the unique
identification from a physical media.

24. A computer-implemented method for media activation, comprising:
receiving a media activation request from a distribution point-of-sale
system, wherein the media activation request has a first format useable
by the distribution point-of-sale system; identifying a provider system
based on the media activation request; processing the media activation
request to place the media activation request into a second format
useable by the provider system; and sending the media activation request
in the second format to the provider system, wherein the media activation
request comprises a unique identification.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 24, wherein processing the
media activation request comprises: identifying the first format of the
media activation request; identifying the second format useable by the
provider system; and mapping the first format into the second format

26. A system for media activation, comprising: a core adapter module
configured to receive a media activation from a distribution
point-of-sale system, wherein the media activation has a format useable
by the distribution point-of-sale system and includes: a first unique
identification that corresponds to a second unique identification on a
physical media, a first provider system identifier, and a second provider
system identifier; a web service module coupled to a format database,
wherein the web service module is configured to: identify a first
provider system using the first provider system identifier in the media
activation, identify a second provider system using the second provider
system identifier in the media activation, identify at least one format
useable by the first provider system and at least one format useable by
the second provider system using the format database, and place the media
activation into the at least one format useable by the first provider
system and the at least one format useable by the second provider system;
and a distribution module configured to: send the media activation in the
at least one format useable by the first provider system to the first
provider system, and send the media activation in the at least one format
useable by the second provider system to the second provider system.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the media activation is a first media
activation, wherein the distribution point-of-sale system is a first
distribution point-of-sale system, wherein the format is a first format,
wherein the core adapter module is configured to receive a second media
activation from a second distribution point-of-sale system, wherein the
second media activation has a second format useable by the second
distribution point-of-sale system and includes the first provider system
identifier, the second provider system identifier, and a third unique
identification that corresponds to a fourth unique identification on a
second physical media; wherein the web service module is configured to:
identify the first provider system using the first provider system
identifier in the second media activation; identify the second provider
system using the second provider system identifier in the second media
activation; and place the second media activation into the at least one
format useable by the first provider system and the at least one format
useable by the second provider system; and wherein the distribution
module is configured to send the second media activation to the first
provider system in the at least one format useable by the first provider
system; and send the second media activation to the second provider
system in the at least one format useable by the second provider system.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the distribution point-of-sale system
comprises a hand-held electronic device configured to receive input from
a user and to generate the first media activation and the second media
activation using the input from the user, and wherein the physical media
comprises the hand-held electronic device.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the first provider system is a ski
resort.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the second provider system is a
hotel.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the physical media is configured to
transmit the second unique identification, and wherein the system further
comprises: a first provider system database configured to receive the
media activation from the distribution module and to store the media
activation; a second provider system database configured to receive the
media activation from the distribution module and to store the media
activation; a first provider system interface coupled to the first
provider system database, wherein the first provider system interface is
configured to receive the second unique identification from the physical
media and to compare the second unique identification from the physical
media with the first unique identification from the media activation that
is stored in the first provider system database; and a second provider
system interface coupled to the second provider system database, wherein
the second provider system interface is configured to receive the second
unique identification from the physical media and to compare the second
unique identification from the physical media with the first unique
identification from the media activation that is stored in the second
provider system database.

Description:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.
11/927,166, filed on Oct. 29, 2007, which claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/863,208, filed on Oct. 27,
2006, and entitled, "Distribution Services Reservation Integration,"
which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all
purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to
distribution services reservation and media activation integration, and
more specifically to systems and methods for facilitating electronic
reservations and media activations.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Today, people commonly book trip reservations online. For example,
a person may access an online travel reservation service, such as
Expedia.com®, to reserve basic items such as a hotel room, airline
tickets, and a rental car, which are necessary for people to get to and
from the destination, and stay at the destination during the trip. For
these common elements of travel, most online travel reservation systems
have electronic interfaces to service providers to book and reconcile the
reservation. In addition to basic travel components, people typically
want to reserve additional products, services or activities, which are
not directly related to the travel or room accommodations. For example, a
person may want to purchase lift tickets to a ski resort, reserve a
sight-seeing tour, or tickets to a live show. Historically, the processes
and systems used to reserve additional components of a trip are not
served by electronic interfaces, and thus subject to risks related to
data integrity, fraud, and reservation error.

[0004] Current systems are characterized by error-prone manual steps in
the process of taking and making a person's reservation. For example,
when the person (i.e., the guest) places a reservation for a resort
through an online reservation service, an email itinerary/reservation is
sent from the online reservation service to a receiving party (e.g.,
accounting department) at the resort. The email itinerary/reservation
typically remains in an email inbox at the resort without any real
attention until later when the reservation and sale are reconciled.
Later, at the time of the reservation, the guest arrives at the resort
and presents a paper voucher that was provided to the guest by the online
reservation service. The paper voucher indicates a product that was
reserved or purchased by the guest, as well as the online reservation
service that was used to make the reservation. An employee (e.g., desk
attendant) at the resort attempts to make a point-of-sale (POS)
transaction based on the voucher.

[0005] The POS transaction involves carrying out the terms of the
reservation, for example by identifying the product (e.g., sightseeing
tour, ski lift ticket) represented by the paper voucher, and providing
the product using the resort's sales/reservation system. In conventional
systems, the employee who accepts the voucher from the guest must
interpret the paper voucher in order to properly carry out the product
reservation/purchase. This can be a challenging, time-consuming,
error-prone task, in part because every online reservation service
typically generates a voucher with a unique data format or look. In
addition, the employee may often be unable to authenticate the voucher at
the time of the POS transaction. As such, the employee essentially trusts
the voucher's legitimacy and his interpretation of the voucher when
making the POS transaction.

[0006] In addition to the POS transaction, the sale must be reconciled
with the reservation that was sent earlier by the online reservation
service to the resort. Accordingly, the paper voucher from the guest is
typically submitted to the receiving party at the resort who originally
received the itinerary/reservation from the online reservation service
for reconciliation. The receiving party manually reconciles the paper
voucher against the itinerary/reservation that was originally sent, and
then attempts to collect payment from the online reservation service
using the paper voucher. As such, conventionally, the POS transaction has
been disconnected from the reservation reconciliation process. The
disconnection between the POS transaction and the reconciliation
introduce potential for error. In addition, the manual reconciliation
process is time-consuming and error-prone.

SUMMARY

[0007] Systems for reservation integration and distribution according to
embodiments of the present invention include a core adapter module
configured to receive reservation information from a reservation system
in a first format useable by the reservation system, a web service module
configured to identify a provider system based on the reservation
information and to place the reservation information into a second format
useable by the provider system, and a distribution module configured to
send the reservation information in the second format to the provider
system. The reservation information may include at least a name, a basic
service, and a credit card number, for example. In some cases, the basic
service information includes an arrival date for a ski resort lodging
reservation. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the
distribution module is further configured to create an advance sale on
the provider system according to the reservation information.

[0008] Methods of reservation integration and distribution according to
embodiments of the present invention include receiving reservation
information from a reservation system in a first format useable by the
reservation system, identifying a provider system based on the
reservation information, processing the reservation information to place
the reservation information into a second format useable by the provider
system, and sending the reservation information in the second format to
the provider system. In some cases, the reservation information includes
at least a name, a basic service, a service provider providing the basic
service, and a credit card number. The basic service may be an arrival
date for a ski resort lodging reservation, and the service provider may
be a ski resort, for example. In addition, an advance sale may be created
on the provider system according to the reservation information.

[0009] Methods for media activation according to embodiments of the
present invention include receiving a media activation request from a
distribution point-of-sale system in a first format useable by the
distribution point-of-sale system, identifying a provider system based on
the media activation request, processing the media activation request to
place the media activation request into a second format useable by the
provider system, and sending the media activation request in the second
format to the provider system. According to some embodiments, the media
activation request includes at least a unique identification number and a
service provider. According to other embodiments, the media activation
request is a request to activate a physical medium for use in accessing
services provided by a service provider, and embodiments of the methods
further include updating a database of the provider system with an
activation of the physical medium based on the media activation request,
and providing a supplier interface, in communication with the database,
configured to read the physical medium and to permit access to the
services based on the activation. In some cases, the physical medium is a
card with a magnetic strip, and the supplier interface is a magnetic card
stripe reader; in other cases, the physical medium is an object with an
RFID transmitter, and the supplier interface is an RFID receiver; and in
yet other cases, the physical medium is an object including a bar code,
and the supplier interface is a bar code reader. According to some
embodiments, the object is a toy race car, the service provider is a car
racing venue, and the supplier interface is configured to permit access
to the car racing venue by unlocking a gate based on the media
activation.

[0010] Systems for media activation according to embodiments of the
present invention include a core adapter module configured to receive a
media activation request from a distribution point-of-sale system in a
first format useable by the distribution point-of-sale system, a web
service module configured to identify a provider system based on the
media activation request and to place the media activation request into a
second format useable by the provider system, and a distribution module
configured to send the media activation request in the second format to
the provider system. According to some embodiments, the media activation
request includes at least a unique identification number and a service
provider. According to other embodiments, the media activation request is
a request to activate a physical medium for use in accessing services
provided by a service provider, the systems according to such embodiments
further including a database of the provider system configured to store
an activation of the physical medium based on the media activation
request, and a supplier interface in communication with the database and
configured to read the physical medium and to permit access to the
services based on the activation. In some cases, the physical medium is a
card with a magnetic strip, and the supplier interface is a magnetic card
stripe reader; in other cases, the physical medium is an object with an
RFID transmitter, and the supplier interface is an RFID receiver; and in
yet other cases, the physical medium is an object including a bar code,
and the supplier interface is a bar code reader. According to some
embodiments, the object is a toy race car, the service provider is a car
racing venue, and the supplier interface is configured to permit access
to the car racing venue by unlocking a gate based on the media
activation.

[0011] While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments
of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art
from the following detailed description, which shows and describes
illustrative embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and
detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not
restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary operating environment in which an
online reservation framework may execute in accordance with an embodiment
of the present invention.

[0013]FIG. 2 illustrates a three-tier architecture for integrating an
online reservation process in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention.

[0014]FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process for carrying out
online reservations in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.

[0015]FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary operating environment in which an
online media activation framework may execute in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.

[0016]FIG. 5 illustrates a three-tier architecture for integrating an
online media activation process in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention.

[0017]FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process for carrying out
online media activations in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.

[0018]FIG. 7 depicts a general computing device upon which one or more
portions of an integrated reservation framework can be implemented.

[0020]FIG. 9 depicts an exemplary operating environment illustrating a
reservation process according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0021] While the invention is amenable to various modifications and
alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example
in the drawings and are described in detail below. The intention,
however, is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments
described. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover all
modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of
the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to systems
and methods for facilitating, making and reconciling reservations for
products and services in an online environment. More specifically,
embodiments relate to a framework for logically integrating the
reservation process among multiple systems in the reservation and
reconciliation processes. Some embodiments relate to a scalable framework
logically located between one or more online reservations systems and one
or more product/service provider systems to automatically push
reservations to the product/service provider system(s) and automatically
reconcile product/service sales with reservations made through online
reservation systems. As such, the reservation and reconciliation process
appears as a seamless, integrated system.

[0023] One embodiment of the reservation framework includes a multi-tier
architecture. In this embodiment, various reservation and reconciliation
processes are carried out by multiple modules. Some of these modules
comprise a core framework that may interact with other modules executing
at the online reservation systems and/or the product/service provider
systems. The core framework includes interfaces and functionality for
interacting with potentially multiple different online reservation
systems/interfaces and multiple different product/service provider
systems/interfaces. In addition, the core framework can be scaled to
interact with other different interfaces. Interfaces at the online
reservation system and the product/service provider system may include
adapter modules that interact seamlessly with the core framework.

[0024] One or more preferred embodiments are described below with
reference to the accompanying figures. In addition, the attached Appendix
A describes one or more preferred embodiments. Prior to describing one or
more preferred embodiments of the present invention, definitions of some
terms used throughout the description are presented.

[0025] The terms "online reservation system" and "online reservation
service" refer broadly to any reservation taking system or service that
is accessible via a network. By way of example, but not limitation,
online reservation systems and online reservation services include
Orbitz®, Travelocity®, and Expedia®. Although embodiments
described herein relate primarily to reservation services that are
accessible over the Internet, the invention is not limited to
Internet-based reservation services. For example, other reservation
services may take reservations over the phone, or in person, and enter
the reservations/itineraries into a network-based system, from which the
reservations can be processed in a manner similar to reservations taken
by Internet-based online reservation services.

[0026] The terms "customer" and "guest" refer broadly to any consumer of
services or products. This application relates primarily to the
reservation, advance sale, and/or sale of services and products. Products
and services may be consumed during a trip (e.g., a day-trip, a vacation)
that a customer takes.

[0027] The term "trip" refers broadly to any outing that is taken by a
customer, and may include trips of relatively short distance or long
distance. For example, a customer could take a trip to a resort that is
close (e.g., one to one hundred miles) to the customer's home, or the
customer could take a trip to a resort that is relatively far (e.g., one
hundred to thousands of miles) from the customer's home.

[0028] The term "product/service provider" refers broadly to any entity
that provides products and/or services. By way of example, but not
limitation, product/service providers include attractions, themed
amusements, resorts (e.g., ski resorts), tour providers and the like.

[0029] The term "basic product/service" refers to products and/or services
that are essential to a trip taken by a customer. For example, for
overnight trips, a hotel or motel room is typically considered a basic
product/service. Travel accommodations, such as cars, buses, trains,
and/or airline accommodations are typically also considered basic
products/services.

[0030] The term "travel products" refers to products, services, and/or
activities that are not necessarily essential to a consumer's trip. By
way of example, but not limitation, the travel products include ski lift
tickets, spa appointments, tickets to sight-seeing tours, and tickets to
shows and performances.

[0031] The term "module" refers broadly to software, hardware, or firmware
components (or any combination thereof). Modules are typically functional
components that can generate useful data or other output using specified
input(s). A module may or may not be self-contained. An application
program (also called an "application") may include one or more modules,
or a module can include one or more application programs or applets.

[0032] The terms "connected" or "coupled" and related terms are used in an
operational sense and are not necessarily limited to a direct connection
or coupling.

[0033] The phrases "in one embodiment," "according to one embodiment," and
the like generally mean the particular feature, structure, or
characteristic following the phrase is included in at least one
embodiment of the present invention, and may be included in more than one
embodiment of the present invention. Importantly, such phrases do not
necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0034] If the specification states a component or feature "may", "can",
"could", or "might" be included or have a characteristic, that particular
component or feature is not required to be included or have the
characteristic.

[0035] The terms "responsive" and "in response to" includes completely or
partially responsive.

[0036] The term "computer-readable media" is media that is accessible by a
computer or computer-like device (e.g. game console, IP devices), and can
include, without limitation, computer storage media and communications
media. Computer storage media generally refers to any type of
computer-readable memory, such as, but not limited to, volatile,
non-volatile, removable, or non-removable memory. Computer storage media
may be magnetic, optical, or other format. Communication media refers to
a modulated signal carrying computer-readable data, such as, without
limitation, program modules, instructions, or data structures.

[0037]FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary operating environment 100 in which
an integrated reservation architecture can execute in accordance with one
embodiment. A guest 102 books a reservation at a product/service
provider, such as a resort 104, using an online reservation system 106.
The reservation may include basic products/services as well as other
travel products. The guest 102 communicates with the online reservation
system 106 using a computer 108 that is in communication with the online
reservation system 106 via a network 110. The online reservation system
106 takes the reservation and makes the reservation available to a
reservation distribution framework 112. The reservation distribution
framework 112 processes the reservation and provides the processed
reservation to a resort reservations and sales system 114 of the resort
104. The resort system 114 typically stores the reservation in memory,
such as a database 116. According to some embodiments of the present
invention, data is sent to the online reservation system 106 in a binary
data format, a text-based data format, and/or a non-XML application
programming interface format, or which ever format is useable by the
online reservation system 106 to accept information from a user.
According to embodiments of the present invention, data is then sent from
the online reservation system 106 to the reservation distribution
framework 112 in an XML format including a header and a payload which is
created by and useable by the online reservation system 106. The
reservation distribution framework 112 may then, with a message formatter
module, perform additional processing of the initial request and prepare
a message for delivery to the supplier in an XML format which is useable
by the supplier. Finally, the data in the request may be formatted to
match the requirements of the supplier's system, such as, for example, in
an XML format, a direct database interaction, and/or modern application
programming interface format useable by the supplier.

[0038] Beneficially, the distribution framework 112 can perform
pre-processing on the reservation to facilitate an integrated reservation
process that is less error-prone and more trustworthy that conventional
processes. For example, the distribution framework 112 can be designed to
accept only legitimate reservations from authorized online reservation
services 106. In addition, the distribution framework 112 can process
reservations from the online reservation system 106 by creating
reservations that are in a format that is similar to, or compatible with,
reservations used by the resort system 114. In the embodiment of FIG. 1,
the distribution framework 112 pushes the guest's processed reservation
to the resort system 114, to thereby create an advanced sale in the
resort system 114. The pre-processing and advanced sale process has the
beneficial effect of automatically performing or obviating steps in the
reservation process prior to the guest's 102 arrival at the resort 104
that in conventional systems would have been carried out by resort staff
manually.

[0039] To illustrate, after making the reservation, the guest 102 arrives
at the resort 104 on the scheduled date. The guest 102 does not need to
have a reservation voucher, or other document, with him in order to make
use of the reserved products/services. Rather, a resort attendant 118
enters identification data of the guest 102 into the resort system 114 to
locate the guest's reservation. Because the reservation has been entered
as an advanced sale, the reservation is quickly retrieved and is already
in a format that is commonly used by, and readily understood by, the
resort attendant 118. For example, any travel products may already have
been entered into the resort system 114, such that the resort attendant
118 does not need to interpret a paper voucher from the guest 102 to
determine what products/services the guest has reserved.

[0040] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the
advanced sale is reconciled with the reservation automatically, and
online reservation system 106 supports such automatic reconciliation. The
resort system 114 may, according to such embodiments, automatically
submit the advance sale to the online reservation system 106 for payment.

[0041] Referring to the guest computer 108 again, the guest computer 108
can be any computing device operable to communicate over the network 110
with the online reservation system 106. By way of example, but without
limitation, the guest computer 108 could be a desktop computer, a laptop
computer, a handheld computer, or a cell phone. The computer 108 includes
functionality to communicate via one or more network protocols, such as
Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and/or
Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP). The computer 108 typically
includes a web browser application that can navigate web pages and
present the web pages to the guest 102.

[0042] In various embodiments, the online reservation system 106 includes
a web server that serves web pages in a markup language format (e.g.,
Hypertext Markup Language). The browser on the guest computer 108 reads
web pages from the online reservation system 106. Through the web pages,
the guest 102 can enter reservation data such as products needed,
services needed, dates of travel, name, credit card information, other
payment information, customer loyalty program information (e.g., frequent
flyer ID), and the like. As such, the online reservation system 106
gathers the reservation information and builds an itinerary for the guest
102.

[0043] The network 110 may be composed of one or more networks and/or
sub-networks. For example, the network 110 may be the Internet, which
itself is composed of numerous sub-networks. The network 110 may include
wired and wireless portions. The network may include switched networks,
such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and Voice over
Internet Protocol (VoIP) networks. The network 110 may include Local Area
Networks (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), backbone networks and others.
In addition, one or more of the interactions among the systems in the
network environment 100 may be carried out via one or more virtual
private networks (VPN).

[0044] It will be understood that the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is
greatly simplified from an actual network environment for purposes of
illustration. In actual operation, the network environment would include
numerous guests, guest computers, online reservation systems, resorts,
and potentially numerous distribution frameworks. As such, a distribution
framework 112 can support numerous different online reservation systems
106 and numerous different resorts 104. The capabilities of the
distribution framework 112 can be leveraged among the numerous online
reservation systems as well as the numerous resorts 104.

[0045]FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary three-tier architecture 200 for
providing end-to-end integrated reservation services. In this embodiment,
the architecture 200 is composed of a reservation originator tier 202, a
core tier 204, and a product/service provider tier 206. In one
embodiment, the online registration system 106 of FIG. 1 is configured to
perform functions of and/or include modules associated with the
reservation originator tier 202, the distribution framework 112 of FIG. 1
is configured to perform functions of and/or include modules associated
with the core tier 204, and the resort system 114 of FIG. 1 is configured
to perform functions of and/or include modules associated with
product/service provider tier 206.

[0046] The reservation originator tier 202 includes a reservation taker
module 208 and an original reservation distributor module 210. The
reservation taker 208 interacts with another application or a user to
take reservation information and produce an original reservation that may
be in the form of a document or other set of data in memory. Typically,
the original reservation has its own distinct format, such as the types
of data included, the organization or order of the data, and so on. The
original reservation distributor 210 makes the original reservation
available to the core tier 204. Alternatively, the core tier 204 may
retrieve the reservation from a designated location.

[0047] An optional core adapter 212 serves as an interface to the
reservation originator 202. The core adapter 212 may be implemented to
handle an interface protocol that is specific to the reservation
originator 202. In other embodiments, the core adapter 212 may not be
necessary, for example, where the reservation originator 202 includes a
standard interface.

[0048] A web service 214 uses reservation data from the reservation
originator 202 to create a reservation that is compatible with the
appropriate product/service provider 206. As such, web service 214
determines which product/service provider is specified in the
reservation, and formats and/or reformats as necessary, a reservation
that has a format corresponding to the reservation format used by the
product/service provider 206. After the original reservation is processed
by the web service 214, a core reservation distributor 216 distributes
the processed reservation to the appropriate product/service provider
206.

[0049] The product/service provider 206 may interface with the core tier
204 via a provider adapter 218 that handles any special provider
interface protocols as necessary. The provider reservation/sales system
220 is configured to receive and store the processed reservation. The
provider reservation/sales system 220 is also operable to retrieve the
reservation information when it is queried.

[0050] Core tier 204 may be component tier coded using C++, and may be a
multi-threaded environment, according to embodiments of the present
invention. According to some embodiments, core tier 204 performs product
activation. Both pre-printed media and print-on-demand media can be
activated through the core tier 204. When a media product is sold by a
distribution partner, the core tier 204 may send a message to the
supplier of activate the product within the supplier's operations system.
Once the media is activated, the customer can use the product for direct
access to the resort or attraction. According to some embodiments of the
present invention, core tier 204 performs order processing. More complex
transactions that generate an itinerary may use core tier 204 to process
the non-global distribution systems products in an itinerary. Such
products may be passed through the core tier 204, which in turn sends a
message to the supplier's system to create an order. Once the order is
placed, the supplier's normal fulfillment process is used to fulfill the
order. The itinerary/order interface is designed to pass both available
customer information and itinerary/confirmation numbers to the supplier
system. This allows the customer to fulfill the order at the location
specified by the resort or attraction, according to embodiments of the
present invention. According to some embodiments of the present
invention, the core tier 204 performs transaction processing. Core tier
204 can process products that do not fall into the "activation" or "order
processing" categories, such as, for example, direct product sales or
access to resort programs like "resort charge," "voucher," and "loyalty."
Data collected at the distribution point may then be translated into the
supplier's system for normal processing at the resort property, according
to embodiments of the present invention.

[0051] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the core
tier 204 may further include various modules to perform services. For
example, the core tier may include a message orchestration service module
to communicate with the service distributors, and a message validation
service module and a message automation service module in communication
with the message orchestration service module. The message automation
service module may be in communication with a message formatter, which
can communicate in substantially real-time updates to a message delivery
service module or in a staged fashion to a message queuing service
module. The message delivery service module may deliver messages to one
or more suppliers or suppliers' agents after receiving them from the
message formatter module or the message queuing module, according to
embodiments of the present invention.

[0052] One or more portions of the architecture of FIG. 2 may be
implemented using a virtual machine, such as .NET from Microsoft®
Corporation, or Java Virtual Machine from Sun®. Data may be stored in
databases in accordance with any number of database models, such as flat,
hierarchical, network, relational, object-oriented, or others. By way of
example, but not limitation, Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL),
MySQL, or Oracle® databases may be used. Servers and their related
services may be implemented using Microsoft's Internet Information
Services (IIS) or Apache Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) Servers, or
others as appropriate to a particular implementation.

[0053]FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary reservation
integration process 300 that may be carried out by a core tier (e.g.,
core tier 204, FIG. 2) of a reservation architecture in accordance with
one embodiment. The process shown in FIG. 3 may be viewed as an
intermediate process carried out between a reservation origination
service (e.g., an online reservation service) and a product/service
provider. The process of FIG. 3 can be used to bring together numerous
different reservation originators and numerous different product/service
providers in a coordinated and/or "seamless" fashion.

[0054] In a receiving operation 302 an original reservation itinerary is
received from a reservation originator. The receiving operation 302 may
involve adapting data or data formats communicated between the core tier
and the reservation originator to facilitate communication of the
original reservation to the core tier. In a determining operation 304 it
is determined which product/service provider the received reservation
applies to. The product/service provider is typically specified in the
original reservation. The core tier is operable to read the original
reservation to identify the specified product/service provider. Of course
the reservation may include multiple product/service providers. In this
case, all of the product/service providers are identified.

[0055] In a processing operation 306, data from the original reservation
is processed to create a reservation that is compatible with the
product/service provider(s) reservation or sales systems. In one
embodiment, the processing operation 306 utilizes Extensible Markup
Language (XML) schemas to perform the processing. The processing
operation 306 may be viewed as a mapping from one reservation or
itinerary format to another format. After the reservation is processed, a
providing operation 308 provides the processed reservation to the
appropriate product/service provider(s) system(s). In one embodiment, the
providing operation 308 includes pushing the reservation to the
appropriate system where it can be stored as an advanced sale in the
provider's reservation/sales system.

[0056] According to some embodiments of the present invention, goods
and/or services may be purchased for a piece of media 405 which evidences
the purchase, rather than identifiable information of guest 102 which is
then verified by the resort attendant 118 (as illustrated in embodiments
of FIGS. 1-3). Use of media 405 according to embodiments of the present
invention permits guest 102 to access goods and/or services at a venue
directly, without having to provide additional proof of purchase and
without having to redeem or exchange one form of media (bought at the
store) with another form of media (useable at a supplier venue). For
example, guests 102 currently must buy vouchers or gift cards for a
certain company or type of goods or services, and upon arrival at the
supplier venue, the guests 102 must often surrender and exchange the
vouchers and/or gift cards for tokens or entry passes or other
supplier-specific media used to access the goods or services. Embodiments
of the present invention, however, permit activation of media 405 by an
authorized media activation distributor to be translated into a record in
the supplier's system which permits the media 405 to be used directly at
the supplier venue to directly access the purchased goods and/or
services.

[0057]FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary operating environment 400 in which
an integrated media activation architecture can execute in accordance
with one embodiment. A guest 102 purchases a form of goods or services at
a distributor point of sale 408, which activates a form of access media
405 retained by guest 102. According to some embodiments of the present
invention, access media 405 stores a unique identification which may be
activated to permit guest 102 to access the particular purchased goods or
services of a supplier at a supplier venue 404. According to some
embodiments of the present invention, the unique identification includes
a number, a code, a key, and/or an electronic signature. Distributor POS
408 may be configured to accept guest's 102 payment for the goods or
services, and to activate media 405 to permit media 405 to be used
directly at supplier venue 404. Distributor POS 408 initiates activation
of media 405 and makes the media activation available to a media
activation distribution framework 412. The media activation distribution
framework 412 processes the media activation and provides the processed
media activation to a supplier sales system 414 of the supplier 404. The
supplier system 414 typically stores the media activation in memory, such
as a database 416.

[0058] Beneficially, the distribution framework 412 can perform
pre-processing on the media activation to facilitate an integrated media
activation process that is less error-prone and more trustworthy than
conventional manual processes. For example, the distribution framework
412 can be designed to accept only legitimate media activations from
authorized distributors and/or distributor POSs 408. In addition, the
distribution framework 412 can process media activations from the
distributor POS 408 by creating media activations that are in a format
that is similar to, or compatible with, media activations used by the
supplier system 414. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the distribution
framework 412 pushes the guest's 102 processed media activation to the
supplier system 414, to thereby create a record of transaction in the
supplier system 414. The pre-processing and record of transaction process
has the beneficial effect of automatically performing or obviating steps
in media activation and/or media redemption prior to the guest's 102
arrival at the supplier venue 404 that in conventional systems would have
been carried out by resort staff manually.

[0059] To illustrate, after purchasing and/or activating the media 405,
the guest 102 arrives at the supplier venue 404. The guest 102 does not
need to have a sales receipt for the media 405 activation, or other
document with her in order to make use of the media 405 to access the
purchased goods and/or services. Furthermore, the guest 102 does not need
to redeem or exchange the media 405 for another corresponding token or
media used by supplier venue 404, because distribution framework 412 will
have already provided supplier system 414 with the media activation
information sufficient to update supplier system 414 and permit media 405
to be used to provide direct access to purchased goods or services at
supplier venue 404. Because the media activation has been entered as a
transaction, the media 405 is already in a format that is commonly used
by, and readily understood by, one or more supplier interfaces 418 in
communication with supplier systems 414 at supplier venue 404.

[0060] In accordance with one embodiment, the transaction corresponding to
the activation of media 405 is reconciled with the supplier system 414
automatically. The supplier system 414 automatically submits the advance
sale to the distributor POS 408 for payment.

[0061] Referring to the distributor POS 408 again, the distributor POS 408
can be any computing device operable to communicate over the network 110
with the distribution framework 412. By way of example, but without
limitation, the distributor POS 408 could be a desktop computer, a laptop
computer, a handheld computer, or a cell phone. The computer 408 includes
functionality to communicate via one or more network protocols, such as
Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and/or
Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP). The computer 408 may in some
embodiments include a web browser application that can navigate web pages
and present the web pages to the guest 102.

[0062] The network 110 may be composed of one or more networks and/or
sub-networks. For example, the network 110 may be the Internet, which
itself is composed of numerous sub-networks. The network 110 may include
wired and wireless portions. The network may include switched networks,
such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and Voice over
Internet Protocol (VoIP) networks. The network 110 may include Local Area
Networks (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), backbone networks and others.
In addition, one or more of the interactions among the systems in the
network environment 400 may be carried out via one or more virtual
private networks (VPN).

[0063] It will be understood that the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is
greatly simplified from an actual network environment for purposes of
illustration. In actual operation, the network environment would include
numerous guests, guest computers, online reservation systems, resorts,
and potentially numerous distribution frameworks. As such, a distribution
framework 412 can support numerous different distributor points of sale
408 and numerous different supplier systems 414. The capabilities of the
distribution framework 412 can be leveraged among the numerous
distributor points of sale systems as well as the numerous venues 404.

[0064] According to some embodiments of the present invention, media 405
is a plastic card with a magnetic strip which contains a unique
identifier, and supplier interface 418 is a magnetic card reader which
correlates the unique identifier with the media activation received in
system 414 from distribution framework 412 to provide direct access to
the purchased goods or services. According to other embodiments, media
405 contains a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip which is
operable to transmit a unique identifier, and supplier interface 418 is
an RFID receiver/transceiver operable to read the unique identifier from
media 405. According to yet other embodiments, media 405 is an item which
includes a bar code or other visual pattern with a unique configuration,
and supplier interface 418 is a scanner operable to associate the unique
configuration of the bar code or other visual pattern with the media
activation received in system 414 from distribution framework 412.

[0065] Media 405 may also be a form of nontraditional media, such as a
three-dimensional and/or non-flat media, according to embodiments of the
present invention. Media 405 may be a replica or representation of a
concept associated with supplier venue 404 and/or the goods or services
offered by the supplier. For example, media 405 could be a small toy car
containing an RFID chip which, upon activation of the media 405, could
provide direct access at an entry turnstile to a professional car racing
event. As another nonlimiting example, the media 405 could be distinctive
toy building blocks imprinted with a bar code which, upon media
activation using embodiments of the present invention, could be used to
obtain entry to a theme park dedicated to the particular toy building
blocks by presenting the building blocks (media 405) to a scanner at the
theme park entrance. Embodiments of the present invention permit such
distinctive and unique items to be used as media 405 to directly access
purchased goods and/or services at a supplier venue 404, without having
to be exchanged or redeemed.

[0066]FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary three-tier architecture 500 for
providing end-to-end integrated media activation services. In this
embodiment, the architecture 500 is composed of a distribution originator
tier 502, a core tier 504, and a product/service provider tier 506. In
one embodiment, the distributor POS 408 of FIG. 4 is configured to
perform functions of and/or include modules associated with the
distribution originator tier 502, the distribution framework 412 of FIG.
4 is configured to perform functions of and/or include modules associated
with the core tier 504, and the supplier system 414 of FIG. 4 is
configured to perform functions of and/or include modules associated with
the product/service provider tier 506.

[0067] The distribution originator tier 502 includes a media activation
taker module 508 and an original media activation distributor module 510.
The media activation taker 508 interacts with another application or a
user to take media activation information and produce an original media
activation request that may be in the form of a document or other set of
data in memory. Typically, the original media activation request has its
own distinct format, such as the types of data included, the organization
or order of the data, and so on. The original media activation
distributor 510 makes the original media activation available to the core
tier 504, for example by emailing the transaction to the core tier 504.
Alternatively, the core tier 504 may retrieve the transaction from a
designated location.

[0068] An optional core adapter 512 serves as an interface to the
distribution originator 502. The core adapter 512 may be implemented to
handle an interface protocol that is specific to the distribution
originator 502. In other embodiments, the core adapter 512 may not be
necessary, for example, where the distribution originator 502 includes a
standard interface.

[0069] A web service 514 uses media activation data from the distribution
originator 502 to create a media activation request that is compatible
with the appropriate product/service provider 506. As such, web service
514 determines which product/service provider 506 is specified in the
media activation and formats and/or reformats as necessary, a media
activation request that has a format corresponding to the media
activation format used by the product/service provider 506. After the
original media activation request is processed by the web service 514, a
core media activation distributor 516 distributes the processed media
activation to the appropriate product/service provider 506.

[0070] The product/service provider 506 may interface with the core tier
504 via a provider adapter 518 that handles any special provider
interface protocols as necessary. The provider/media acceptance system
520 is configured to receive and store the processed media activation.
The provider/media acceptance system 520 is also operable to retrieve the
media activation information when it is queried.

[0071] One or more portions of the architecture of FIG. 5 may be
implemented using a virtual machine, such as .NET from Microsoft®
Corporation, or Java Virtual Machine from Sun®. Data may be stored in
databases in accordance with any number of database models, such as flat,
hierarchical, network, relational, object-oriented, or the like. By way
of example, but not limitation, Microsoft Structured Query Language
(SQL), MySQL, or Oracle® databases may be used. Servers and their
related services may be implemented using Microsoft's Internet
Information Services (IIS) or Apache Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP)
Servers, or others as appropriate to a particular implementation.

[0072]FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary media activation
integration process 600 that may be carried out by a core tier (e.g.,
core tier 504, FIG. 5) of a media activation architecture in accordance
with one embodiment. The process shown in FIG. 6 may be viewed as an
intermediate process carried out between a distribution origination
service (e.g., a distributor POS sale) and a product/service provider.
The process of FIG. 6 can be used to bring together numerous different
media activation originators and numerous different product/service
providers in a coordinated and/or "seamless" fashion.

[0073] In a receiving operation 602 an original media activation is
received from a distribution originator. The receiving operation 602 may
involve adapting data or data formats communicated between the core tier
and the media activation originator to facilitate communication of the
original media activation to the core tier. In a determining operation
604 it is determined which product/service provider the received media
activation applies to. The product/service provider is typically
specified in the original media activation request received from the
distribution originator. The core tier is operable to read the original
media activation to identify the specified product/service provider. Of
course the media activation may include multiple product/service
providers. In this case, all of the product/service providers are
identified.

[0074] In a processing operation 606, data from the original media
activation is processed to create a media activation that is compatible
with the product/service provider(s) reservation or sales systems. In one
embodiment, the processing operation 606 utilizes Extensible Markup
Language (XML) schemas to perform the processing. The processing
operation 606 may be viewed as a mapping from one media activation or
media format to another format. After the media activation is processed,
a providing operation 608 provides the processed media activation to the
appropriate product/service provider(s) system(s). In one embodiment, the
providing operation 608 includes pushing the media activation to the
appropriate system where it can be stored as a transaction in the
provider's reservation/sales system.

[0075]FIG. 7 depicts a general computing device upon which one or more
portions of an integrated reservation system can be implemented and
executed. The components computing device 700 are illustrative of
components that client and server computers typically include. As such,
the embodiments of the client application described herein can be
implemented on the computing device 700. In any particular
implementation, more or fewer than those components shown may exist. In
addition, components shown may be combined or rearranged in any
particular implementation, without departing from the scope of the
present invention.

[0076] As discussed herein, embodiments of the present invention include
various steps. A variety of these steps may be performed by hardware
components or may be embodied in machine-executable instructions, which
may be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processor
programmed with the instructions to perform the steps. Alternatively, the
steps may be performed by a combination of hardware, software, and/or
firmware.

[0077] According to the present example, the computing device 700 includes
a bus 701, at least one processor 702, at least one communication port
703, a main memory 704, a removable storage media 705 a read only memory
706, and a mass storage 707. Processor(s) 702 can be any know processor,
such as, but not limited to, an Intel® Itanium® or Itanium 2®
processor(s), or AMD® Opteron® or Athlon MP® processor(s), or
Motorola® lines of processors. Communication port(s) 703 can be any
of an RS-232 port for use with a modem based dialup connection, a 10/100
Ethernet port, a Gigabit port using copper or fiber, or a Universal
Serial Bus (USB) port. Communication port(s) 703 may be chosen depending
on a network such as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN),
or any network to which the computing device 700 connects. The computing
device 700 may be in communication with peripheral devices (not shown)
such as, but not limited to, printers, speakers, cameras, microphones, or
scanners.

[0078] Main memory 704 can be Random Access Memory (RAM), or any other
dynamic storage device(s) commonly known in the art. Read only memory 706
can be any static storage device(s) such as Programmable Read Only Memory
(PROM) chips for storing static information such as instructions for
processor 702. Mass storage 707 can be used to store information and
instructions. For example, hard disks such as the Adaptec® family of
SCSI drives, an optical disc, an array of disks such as RAID, such as the
Adaptec family of RAID drives, or any other mass storage devices may be
used.

[0080] FIGS. 8 and 9 compare a conventional reservation process with a
reservation process according to embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary operating environment illustrating a
conventional reservation process, and FIG. 9 depicts an exemplary
operating environment illustrating a reservation process according to
embodiments of the present invention. In the conventional process of FIG.
8, a guest 102 books a reservation on an online reservation system 106
(step 801). The online reservation system 106 then e-mails an itinerary
to the guest 102 (step 802). The online reservation system 106 then
e-mails the itinerary to a resort employee 852, who is usually in the
accounting department of the resort (step 803). The guest 102 later
arrives at the resort and presents a paper voucher to receive products
booked through the online reservation system 106 (step 804). The resort
employee 118 then attempts to locate the product represented on the
guest's itinerary and posts a point-of-sale transaction (step 805). The
resort operations employee 118 then submits a physical voucher to the
accounting employee 852 as a backup for the transaction (step 806). The
physical vouchers must then be reconciled and are physically mailed to
the online reservation system employee 850 for payment (step 807).

[0081] In the streamlined process of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 9, a
guest 102 books a reservation on an online reservation system 106 (step
901). The online reservation system 106 then e-mails an itinerary to the
guest 102 (step 902). The distribution framework 112 then retrieves the
itinerary from the online reservation system 106 (step 903). The
distribution framework 112 then processes and routes the itinerary to the
resort system 114, creating an advanced sale in the resort system 114
(step 904). When the guest 102 arrives and identifies himself or herself
to utilize products booked through the online reservation system 106
(step 905), the resort employee 118 locates and fulfills the advanced
sale created in step 903 (step 906). The fulfilled advanced sales are
then submitted to the online reservation system 106 for payment (step
907), according to embodiments of the present invention. A similar
process may be used for a media activation system as described herein, to
reduce risk associated with data integrity, fraud, and manual
reconciliation. In the process of FIG. 8, all steps except for 901 and
902 involve direct human intervention, whereas in the process of FIG. 9,
only steps 905 and 906 potentially involve direct human intervention,
according to embodiments of the present invention. According to some
embodiments of the present invention, data and/or price consistency is
managed via automated processes, such as, for example, price discrepancy
alerts, and manual processes like comparing reports from the distribution
framework 112 to the resort system 114.

[0082] Schemas written in extended markup language ("XML") may be used to
instruct a processor of a distribution framework, such as distribution
framework 112, 412 according to embodiments of the present invention. The
following illustrates non-limiting examples of XML schemas that may be
employed for various purposes as described below. Based on the disclosure
provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that
the structure, organization, and other attributes of the following XML
schemas may vary in order to accomplish the purposes described below, and
that some, all, or none of the following XML schemas may be used,
according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0083] RTPDS_ActivateAccessMediaRQ--This schema defines a request to
Activate Media valid for Access to a venue, goods or services, according
to embodiments of the present invention.

[0096] Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary
embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present
invention. For example, while the embodiments described above refer to
particular features, the scope of this invention also includes
embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments
that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope
of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives,
modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims,
together with all equivalents thereof.